The Local Church is Important

Christianity Today had a great article about the depth and breadth of the church in a recent CT blog. http://christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/001/30.50.html

In it, the author said many of the things I have argued for many years. For example, no religion, group, movement, political ideology or business does as much good for people as the churches of Jesus Christ regardless of denomination. While ministering at Ground Zero I saw hundreds of Christian pastors, lay volunteers and chaplains but no groups of atheists, ACLU members or Muslims.

I believe in ecumenical associations. In fact I helped start a couple of them and I still coordinate HOPE for Cincinnati along with some others. However, were it not for the local church there would be no local ministries; no international missions and no finances for any of them to operate.

Only in the church can we teach, inspire and mobilize thousands of people every week to follow Christ and do good works. IBM, Microsoft and ATT only wish they had this kind of access.

The next time you have a friend or colleague lambast Christians for not doing enough to help the poor, care for the needy or acting like hypocrites, you can readily agree. The church admits it is only for sinners so the fact that hypocrites show up is no great surprise. That is like criticizing Alcoholics Anonymous for having a bunch of drunks in their meetings!

We agree that we are sinners. Perfect people need not apply! But it is all those imperfect, stumbling sinners and hypocrites who are "Healing the broken-hearted and setting the captives free."

Yes, the next time you are confronted by a sneering agnostic, agree with him but also ask: "What group in American society is doing more than the hypocrite Christians and their churches? Can you name a single group that gives more or works harder to help people?

If they can name a single group that is doing more I will buy them a Starbucks latte.

The rap by those who love abortions is that we Christians want to produce unwanted babies but refuse to care for them. In point of fact, Christians provide at least 90% of all adoption and problem pregnancy care. Churches provide over 75% of all child care and 90% of all counseling for all people.

Is it enough? Nope! Can we do better? Yep! Are we ashamed and need to stop doing good things? Nope? Will we gladly accept these agnostic complainers into our fellowship and love them anyway? Yep! It is always exciting to welcome a new group of hypocrites into the church.